Was There Really A Fire Outbreak At Mandilas In Lagos?
On September 17, 2025, @dozidozi1992, an X user, claimed that Mandilas was on fire, without stating the “Mandilas” in question. The claim was posted with an image of the inferno scene and captioned, “Mandilas on fire!!! Where is the Nigerian fire service when you need one?😞😞 Goods worth millions have been destroyed just like that…”
VERIFICATION
Where Did This Inferno Happen?
On September 16, 2025, a massive fire erupted at Central Plaza, a multi-storey building in Mandilas Market, Lagos Island. The fire gutted part of the building, causing significant damage to shops and property inside. The location is popularly called Mandilas Market and “Central Plaza, Mandilas Market”. Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, eyewitnesses said thick smoke poured from windows on the upper floors while the fire advanced. The flames reached portions of adjoining structures before firefighters could contain the worst.
Mandilas Mall (Market)
While there was no casualty recorded, the fire is reported to have destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
Mandilas Group or Mandilas Market?
Mandilas Group Limited is a long-standing Nigerian conglomerate, founded in 1950 by John Basil Mandilas. It has multiple business arms, notably air condition systems, refrigeration, Carrier brand, vehicle sales (new and used), after-sales service, fleet management & leasing. The Group is considered a major player in Nigeria’s automobile and cooling/cold-chain sectors.
Mandilas Group
Meanwhile, Mandilas market is located in the heart of Lagos Island, a bustling business hub around Broad Street, close to Tinubu Square. It is known as a secondhand market for vibrant fabrics, clothes, shoes, accessories and other trendy fashion wears.
Why The Confusion?
Several social media and news reports on the fire incident referred to “Mandilas Market / Central Plaza, Mandilas Market” without clarifying the affected area or location.
NV-A used Google Map to geolocate the proximities between both locations, as seen on the encircled spots on the map below. We found that the distance between Mandilas Market, on Broad Street and Mandilas Group, on Simpson street is approximately 2.6km and will take about 12-13 minutes drive between both spots.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Mandilas was on fire is MISLEADING. The fire was at Central Plaza, part of Mandilas Market in Lagos Island, but did not directly affect Mandilas Group’s assets.
